OT: Steelers line turning on Le'Veon Bell

[TheRainMaker]

Luckily for Bell, there's always at least one dumb team out there in free agency because I think any sane team would be concerned about guaranteeing $45M to a player who is so scared he will get injured he won't play for a guaranteed $15M. Good luck to whoever "wins" the Bell sweepstakes and ruins their team signing this guy with sky high expectations.

He needs to go to a team like Green Bay that is missing that one piece of offense. If he goes to a crappy team, it's a waste of money unless the owner's real motivation is return on investment to get more butts in the seats.

 

[FoxboroFlyer]

He needs to go to a team like Green Bay that is missing that one piece of offense. If he goes to a crappy team, it's a waste of money unless the owner's real motivation is return on investment to get more butts in the seats.

He's going to SF.
The return to relevance is in full bloom.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He's going to SF.

Good call. Breida will have his shot this year. The Mckinnon signing was a disaster.

 

[FoxboroFlyer]

Good call. Breida will have his shot this year. The Mckinnon signing was a disaster.

If JG is for real...the addition of Bell would be scary.
I could see Irsay making him an offer he couldn't refuse also.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

He needs to go to a team like Green Bay that is missing that one piece of offense. If he goes to a crappy team, it's a waste of money unless the owner's real motivation is return on investment to get more butts in the seats.

If JG is for real...the addition of Bell would be scary.
I could see Irsay making him an offer he couldn't refuse also.

Some day, stat nerds will publish a sabermetric-like report on why a guy like Bell makes the Rodgers Packers or Garopollo 49ers offenses worse, much like he presently makes the Steelers offense. They are averaging 7 more ppg when he doesn’t play. Every time you give the ball to the RB, that’s one less play for your quarterback, so the idea of a workhorse RB doesn’t lead to a more efficient offense if overused. Just look at the offensive ppg numbers and you’ll see that top RBs are completely irrelevant. The Patriots know how and when to use RBs, which is mainly as a change of pace, short yardage, red zone, and against teams they can exploit. That’s why Brady often throws 50+ times by design.

 

[captain stone]

I'm rooting for James Conner. He's been through a lot since being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and beating it. If he does well, watch Bell return real quick because he loses leverage.

I'll be rooting for Connor only insofar as he doesn't help Sh!tsdirt win.

 

[MagicMarker]

I think he should be able to get what the market will pay and it's his right to find out what that is. If it is lower than he thinks it is, it's still his right.

I don't believe RBs are devalued because of the position. Would you rather pay $16M to Bell or Brandon Cooks? Or Sammy Watkins? RBs are devalued because teams use them up before they get to their second contract. The fact that the Steelers are willing to franchise him tells you what they think he's worth.

You're right. The union granted the owners the franchise tag to use and it's the Steelers right to use it. But, it's also Bell's right to not sign it and to not show up.

(By the way, I don't think he has to show up by week 10. He doesn't need another year of service. He already has five. There is no deadline for him to show up because he's not a hold out. He's a free agent. He can show up in week 16 if he wants. AND, if he sits out the whole season and the Steelers try to tag him again next year, would that be his second tag or his third? If it's his third, he gets QB money next year. I'm trying to find out if tags are counted when applied, not when signed.)

REPLYING TO ANOTHER POST:
It's also not true that he can't sign a multi-year deal. He can if Pittsburgh removes the franchise tag. Then, he's an unrestricted free agent.

It's also not true that the Steelers can trade him without his consent. He's a free agent. He would have to sign his franchise tender first.

 

[supafly]

I don't think he has to show up by week 10. He doesn't need another year of service. He already has five. There is no deadline for him to show up because he's not a hold out. He's a free agent. He can show up in week 16 if he wants.

REPLYING TO ANOTHER POST:
It's also not true that he can't sign a multi-year deal. He can if Pittsburgh removes the franchise tag. Then, he's an unrestricted free agent.

It's also not true that the Steelers can trade him without his consent. He's a free agent. He would have to sign his franchise tender first.

He is most definitely not a free agent, although he could be if the Steelers would rescind the tag. I don’t know why on earth they would do such a thing, however.

 

[chasa]

I think he should be able to get what the market will pay and it's his right to find out what that is. If it is lower than he thinks it is, it's still his right.

I don't believe RBs are devalued because of the position. Would you rather pay $16M to Bell or Brandon Cooks? Or Sammy Watkins? RBs are devalued because teams use them up before they get to their second contract. The fact that the Steelers are willing to franchise him tells you what they think he's worth.

20% more then the average of the top 5 RB's last year.

If Bell has issues with that he should stop playing RB, and become a WR.

 

[Ring 6]

I don’t know how a coach/gm would look at a player who thinks he should negotiate a limit on touches to prolong his career in addition to baking on his teammates because he only will be paid 14 mill.
This guy is bad news.

 

[MagicMarker]

20% more then the average of the top 5 RB's last year.

If Bell has issues with that he should stop playing RB, and become a WR.

This is one thing that bothered me. Sure, the tags are what they are, but a player is not worth more based on what position he is listed as playing.

One example a few years ago was Jimmy Graham. He wanted the Saints to pay him on the wide receiver tag instead of tight end tag. He argued he was split out wide more than half the time, so he should be paid as a wide receiver. I don't remember what happened. He might have signed before this was resolved.

But, he was exactly right. Back in the early days, the line was one center, two guards, two tackles and two ends. Then, they started splitting out one of the ends, so they became a split ends and tight ends. Later they lumped split ends in with the flankers and slot receivers (who are really backs) and called them wide receivers. By that definition, if Graham played over half the time as a split end, that's a wide receiver.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

What's the over/under on Ramon Foster getting a call from the NFLPA offices with a "You are the team's union rep for Christ's sake! Would you just STFU about this moving forward?!?" message? 2 hours? Maybe 3?

Regards,
Chris

 

[Joey007]

The guy that I am playing in fantasy this week has Laveon Bell lol. Sucks for him.

I had the first pick in my daft, but didn’t get on in time so I ended up on auto pick.

Guess who they had me taking

 

[Soliel]

Millionaire players turning on other millionaire players is certainly convenient for billionaire owners.

Divide and conquer

 

[carmelo15]

Luckily for Bell, there's always at least one dumb team out there in free agency because I think any sane team would be concerned about guaranteeing $45M to a player who is so scared he will get injured he won't play for a guaranteed $15M. Good luck to whoever "wins" the Bell sweepstakes and ruins their team signing this guy with sky high expectations.

Listen to how you sound. The guy earned a long term big money deal either give it to him or stop ****ing tagging him and giving him absurd amount of touches

 

[Clonamery]

Listen to how you sound. The guy earned a long term big money deal either give it to him or stop ****ing tagging him and giving him absurd amount of touches

Sorry, Carmelo, this is not the NBA for at least 2 more years.

 

[Thelonious]

I'm with others here: there's no doubt Bell is a good runner but a flaming a-wholle, but what's really on display here is what a toxic drag it is on a talented team to have as head coach the most deeply stupid man ever to take on that role.

 

[Thelonious]

Listen to how you sound. The guy earned a long term big money deal either give it to him or stop ****ing tagging him and giving him absurd amount of touches

Are you getting bonus points from your social studies teacher to post as a Social Justice Warrior? He's paid millions to run around with a ball: dry your tears.

 

[Peachhead]

Connor is much more the style of a big bruising old-school Steeler RB than Bell is. Bell is gonna Wally Pipp himself.

 

[captain stone]

This is one thing that bothered me. Sure, the tags are what they are, but a player is not worth more based on what position he is listed as playing.

One example a few years ago was Jimmy Graham. He wanted the Saints to pay him on the wide receiver tag instead of tight end tag. He argued he was split out wide more than half the time, so he should be paid as a wide receiver. I don't remember what happened. He might have signed before this was resolved.

But, he was exactly right. Back in the early days, the line was one center, two guards, two tackles and two ends. Then, they started splitting out one of the ends, so they became a split ends and tight ends. Later they lumped split ends in with the flankers and slot receivers (who are really backs) and called them wide receivers. By that definition, if Graham played over half the time as a split end, that's a wide receiver.

I've wondered if one way to balance this discrepency would be to categorize offensive players into only 3 categories: QBs, OLmen & ERs (Eligible Receivers). Eliminate the differences between Centers, Guards & Tackles; and between RBs, TEs & WRs.